


Hold Me Closer

by JamesPeppersalt



Series: Fire Emblem: If | Fates: Modern Romances [3]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Azura!Soleil, Camilla!Nina, Charlotte!Siegbert, Childhood Friends, Chrom!Morgan, Dancing, Dancing and Singing, Dancing in the Rain, Elise!Ophelia, First Love, Henry!Inigo, Inigo!Shigure, Laslow!Shigure, Leo!Kiragi, M/M, Morgan is a Sweetheart, POV Morgan, Secret Crush, Seriously Who Names Their Kid 'Siegbert', Sibling Love, Single Parents, Slow Dancing, Slow Romance, Takumi!Forrest, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Who AGREES to Name Their Kid 'Siegbert', Widowed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-08-30 22:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8551882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamesPeppersalt/pseuds/JamesPeppersalt
Summary: Nerdy Morgan has left his family in Ylisse for Nohr in hopes of finding better study materials there. He doesn't expect to meet old friends- and especially not Inigo, his childhood friend and crush. But despite being the same old Inigo, he has a new life now, and new responsibilities as a father. Will Morgan ever reconnect with his old friend, or will he somehow manage the courage to finally admit the feelings he's been hiding all this time?





	1. A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> I love this ship so much. (Squee~) I love my little socially awkward bundle of joy that is Morgan. (Yes, the son in Morgan, the daughter is Marc. I’m sorry. I like it like this.) Also, I like writing stories about single dads? Especially single dads falling in love. But since this isn't from Inigo's point of view, no promises. >:^)

“Oh my god, Lucina, it’s  _ gorgeous _ !”

I have my phone in my shirt pocket, arms spread wide, as I stand in front of an ornate castle, other tourists bustling about.

“I’m sure,” my older sister chuckles. “You get so excited about this kind of thing.”

“Send me pictures!” my younger sister Marc says as she pipes in. “I want to see  _ everything  _ that you see in Nohr.”

“Ha, ha, okay then,” I chortle. I glance around. There are a  _ lot  _ of people around. I guess tourism started bursting after all that political stuff between Nohr and Hoshido was solved.

“Mm. I remember when we traveled there the year after,” Lucina mused. “Things were still a bit tense.”

“Yeah…” I exhale wistfully. “It’s so great.”

“Whoa, now, don’t get sappy on me,” Lucina teases while I begin to walk through the crowd again, hands crossed behind my back. I spin around and start walking backwards to take it all in.

“Morgan,” Marc begins, “are you going the go see some of the older Nohrian families?”

“Not today. Right now I’ve got to-  _ OOF _ .”

This is the sound I make as I collide with someone. I fall forward, but they catch my elbow before I can faceplant.

“Morgan?” Luciana and Marc ask.

“Whoa! Are you okay?!” A deep, gorgeous voice asks.

“Yeah, I’m-” I turn around, and my eyes widen.

I am currently in the arms of someone I haven’t seen in years. A certain someone named Inigo. A certain someone who I, coincidentally, had a crush on all throughout my younger years.

I make a weird squeeing/gasping sound.

Inigo looks startled. “Morgan? Is that you?”

“Morgan?” Lucina asks, voice going into overprotective-big-sister-mode. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

I take the phone out of my pocket. “I’ll call you back,” I say, my voice a dull squeak, as I end the call.

Inigo waits patiently for me to put the phone back in my pocket before shouting, “OH MY GODS, IT  _ IS  _ YOU!”

“INIGO!” I shout as we hug. (More like, throw ourselves into each other’s arms.)

“Oh my gosh, it’s been so long!” He yells as he lifts me into the air. (I’m a very light person. It’s about as great as it sounds.)

“ _ Too _ long!” I laugh. Oh my gods.  _ Oh my gods _ . This is not happening. I repeat, this-can-not-be-hap-pen-ing. I haven’t seen Inigo since- gods, since we were both teenagers. He’s gotta be at least in his late twenties now.

“This is awesome!” He says, setting me down and gripping me by the shoulders. “But what are you doing in Nohr? Did something happen in Ylisse?”

“What? Oh! No! I just thought I’d come here for a bit. There’s lots of stuff to study here! There are so many books, so much  _ history _ !”

He laughs, tousling my hair. “Oh, same old Morgan. Where are you staying, buddy?”

“Oh, just an inn, one of the Annas runs it-”

“What?! No, you can come stay with me?”

I turn red. “Oh, what? I couldn’t! I mean, we  _ just  _ saw each other again after, what, a little over a  _ decade _ ?”

“Ah, c’mon,” he says, putting an arm around me. “At least come over for tea or something. We can catch up! Ah man, I’ve got to call Owain and Severa, and-”

“Oh, no!” I yelp a bit too quickly. Inigo stares at me. “I mean, uh… we should call them later! It’s been ages, and also I just got her- Nohr, I mean- so maybe just… the two of us?”

He blinks, then nods, grinning. “Alright. Yeah! I mean, they’ve probably both got stuff going on, and I just got off of work. I’ll take you by my place! This’ll be great: just two bros catching up again!”

“Ha, ha! Yeah… bro…!” I say, punching his arm weakly. He gives me one of his familiar “Inigo” smiles, and I melt along with all those years of being apart.

Oh, dear.

 

“So Lucina’s still her same old self?”

“Yep! Same as always!”

Inigo’s house is actually neat and tidy. There are countless paintings hung on the walls, which is funny, because although Inigo loved (loves?) to dance, I never took him as much of a painting person. There’s a lot of blue, grey, and pink.

I’m sitting on Inigo’s couch with him, all my bags on the floor in the living room. I’m looking around in awe- it’s so nice. I like it a lot.

“So, Morgan,” he starts, leaning back on the couch and crossing his arms over his stomach. “You haven’t told me much about Marc.”

“Whoa, now, are you doing your whole gigolo thing again?” Same old Inigo. “Those are my sisters, you know!”

Inigo laughs. “Nah, although you have two  _ lovely  _ sisters. How about your parents? Chrom still being ‘that dad’?”

I roll my eyes, smiling. “When isn’t he ‘that dad’?”

“And Robin- how’s your mom?”

“Mm, she’s good. Mom and Dad are on vacation right now. The sisters are holding down the fort. Me, I’m studying! Like always.”

Inigo beams, patting my shoulder. “You know, you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Well,  _ you  _ have!” I pinch a strand of his hair, which is now grey. “Look at this! Wasn’t it white before?”

“Yeah… after I moved, I thought it was time for a change.” He shrugs. “Plus, who wants to look in the mirror and think, ‘Dear gods, I look like my  _ dad _ ’?”

I shake my head. “So, this is a nice place. Do you have a good job?”

“Oh, yeah. My boss- Xander- is great. His siblings, too. Couldn’t help but join the family! There’re- what- ten siblings? Eleven?”

My eyes widen. “Whoa. Big family.”

“Yeah, he’s got… six, and three of them have another four siblings from Hoshido.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah.”

“So- what do you do when you’re  _ not _ working?”

“Well…”

The sound of a door opening reverberates through the house, followed by pounding footsteps, and then-

“DADDY!”

“Soleil!” Inigo shouts as a small girl with long, gorgeous pink hair jumps into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “How was school, Sunshine?”

She throws her arms into the air. “It was GREAT!”

A boy with blue hair (lighter blue than mine), small but taller than the girl, enters, holding the straps of his backpack tightly. He glances around, surprised at the sight of me, but he soon smiles warmly. “Hello.”

It takes me a moment to wave back. I’m absolutely dumbfounded. “H-hello.”

“Daddy, who’s  _ THIS _ ?!” Soleil asks, tugging on my shirt sleeve.

“This is Morgan!”

“Is that your old friend, Morgan?” The boy asks.

“Yep. Now, kids, what do we do when we meet new people?”

“Oh, yeah!” Soleil leapt from Inigo- her  _ father’s _ \- lap, bounding to the side of her brother. The boy bowed. “Hello, Mr. Morgan. I’m Shigure. And this is my sister-”

“Hi! I’m Soleil!” she announces, waving ecstatically.

“Good!” Inigo claps. “Now go get a snack and do your homework!”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Okay, Daddy!” Soleil and Shigure take each other by the hands and walked to the kitchen. As soon as they’re out of earshot, I blurt, “You’re a  _ dad _ ?!”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” He smiles in the direction the’d gone in, and unlike all the smiles he made that could make a person’s heart turn to putty, this one was full of an emotion that was solemn but passionate, full of pride. “Shigure’s nine, and Soleil’s seven.”

“Wow. I honestly never thought I’d see the day- like,  _ wow _ .”

He laughs, crossing his arms. “I know, right? Me, of all people, a family man. Who would’ve guessed?”

“So, uh-” my heart gives a little, but I suppose I should be happy for him. He’s my friend. “Where’s your wife?”

His face falls a bit, but he maintains a smile, though I can tell this one is fake. “Ah… there is no wife.”

“Oh.” 

My heart inflates a bit once more, but then it’s immediately crushed down three sizes and I feel like a massive jerk when he says, “My wife, Azura, passed away a few years back.”

“Oh- oh, Inigo, I’m so sorry…”

He waves a hand. “Don’t be. I’ve recovered since. Honest.”

“Um… okay.”

Inigo lets out a low sigh, and I decide to change the subject.

“So, uh, what are your kids like? And by the way,  _ thanks  _ for writing me about them.”

“Pfft, I didn’t write you guys at all.”

“I  _ know _ !” I say, punching him in the arm (this time with some force behind it). “We’ve  _ got  _ to catch up sometime! What about Severa and Owain?  _ They  _ wrote home!”

“Owain’s your cousin, dork. Of course he’d write to you.” Inigo glanced to the side, indicating he doesn’t want to talk about this anymore.

“So, where are you staying, Morgan?” he asks.

“Um, what?”

“While you’re in Nohr. Are you staying with Owain?”

“Uh… no… I actually haven’t visited him yet,” I admit. “I was planning to tomorrow, but for now I’m at an inn downtown…”

“Pfft,” Inigo says, waving his hand. “We can’t have that! You of all people can’t  _ possibly  _ enjoy something like that.”

“Yeah, uh, no… it’s not ideal.”

“We have a guest room here,” he suggests. I turn red.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly-”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” He shakes his head. “Morgan, we used to be best friends. I want to catch up! Just like old times, right?”

“Um…”

He smiles so earnestly at me, I can’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  _ Curse his father for giving him such a gorgeous smile _ .

I beam back at him. “Yeah. Just like old times.”

 

“Wait, wait- you saw  _ Inigo _ ?”

“Yeah!”

“Like,  _ Inigo  _ Inigo.”

“Uh-huh…”

I called Lucina back shortly afterwards so she didn’t burn down Ylisse screaming to come track me down. (And, yes, she  _ would  _ do something like that. It’s not easy having such an overprotective big sister.)

“Like… the Inigo you used to have a massive crush on, Inigo?”

“Lucina.”

“I’m sorry,” she says defensively, “but this just doesn’t seem like a very good idea to me.”

I pout.

“Don’t pout, Morgan.”

“I- I’m  _ not _ ,” I lie.

“Morgan. I know you. I’m your big sister, remember?”

I roll my eyes. “Please don’t go into ‘Overprotective Big Sis’ mode.”

“Morgan, I am  _ always  _ in ‘Overprotective Big Sis’ mode.”

“Yeah, you got that right,” I mumble.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Hmph.”

No joke. I could practically  _ hear  _ her crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

“C’mon, Luci, why can’t you be supportive like Mom?”

“You’ve talked to Mom.”

“No. But it’s  _ Mom _ ,” I point out.

“Hm, true.” Lucina sighs. “I suppose… I should be happy for you. Just… be careful, alright? I don’t want you to get hurt, or…”

“Lucina, I’m an adult. I’m a big boy now! I’ll be  _ fine _ ,” I insist.

“I’m sure,” she says, chuckling. “Alright, Morgan, I’ll leave you to it. Just stay safe, alright?”

“Of course. Love you, Luci.”

“...I love you too.”

I open my mouth to make fun of her.

“And if you make fun of me I will personally march down to Nohr and break you in two.”

I shut my mouth.

“Bye, Morgan.”

There’s a hollow  _ beep  _ as she hangs up. I slip my phone into my pocket, sighing. From my current position in the guest room, I can hear Inigo as he tells Soleil to get out of the bath and thanks Shigure for putting away his toys without being told.

It’s… really interesting, to think that my friends are having kids. I mean, I knew Owain was married- he came to Ylisse a couple of times with his wife, Elise, and his daughter, Ophelia- and that Severa was happily settled in Hoshido with a daughter named Caeldori (who, based on the pictures we’d been sent, looked exactly like her grandmother Cordelia). But I never thought Inigo would be one to settle down.

And honestly?

I think I like him better like this.

After all… neither of us are kids anymore.


	2. Family Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan helps Inigo out with his domestic life. In the meantime, he runs into Owain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The JUSTICE CABAL, back together ONCE AGAIN! (Or at least ⅔ of it)

“Wake up, Mr. Morgan!”

“Sh, Soleil! Don’t bother him! Daddy said to let him sleep.”

I open my eyes and sit up groggily. “Whoa… what?” I blink, rubbing my head. A pink haired girl is sitting on my bed.

I frown. “Um… hello?”

“Remember _me_?” she asks cheerfully.

“I- oh! Yes, I remember you. You’re Soleil.”

“Sol,” her brother hisses, walking into my room. “Daddy _said_ -”

“I _know_ ,” she interrupts. “But breakfast is almost ready!”

“Um-” Shigure looks from his sister to me. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes, bowing.

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” I say, smiling. “I tend to forget I need to get up and doze off! I guess I overslept again, huh?”

“No…” Shigure rubs his arms. “It’s seven in the morning.”

“Oh, what? Really?”

“Yeah, and Daddy made breakfast!” Soleil announces. “You gotta hurry, or he’ll eat it _all_.”

“He won’t do that,” Shigure assures me.

“Yes he will. Don’t you see how big Daddy’s tummy has gotten lately?”

I snort, containing my laughter.

Shigure sighs. “C’mon, Soleil, let Mr. Morgan get dressed. Besides, _you_ have got to get ready for school. You’re still in your pajamas.”

“Alright,” Soleil scoffs, giving in. She reaches over and pats my head. “By the way, I like your hair!”

“Um…” I watch as she jumps down, lead out of the room by her brother. “...Okay.”

I frown, then stretch. The Nohrian sunlight is filtering through the windows. The room’s really simple- white walls, white sheets, white curtains, an end table and dresser. My clothes are in the suitcase under the bed (Inigo was nice enough to go get my stuff for me after his kids went to sleep). The only thing in the room that is for decoration rather than necessity is a small cactus, sitting on the dresser in front of the window.

Yawning, I roll out of bed- quite literally, falling on the floor face-first. I used to scare Mom and Lucina a lot by doing this, then falling back asleep, when I was a kid.

My mother and sister are scary when they think I’m hurt or dead.

Inigo and I found that out the hard way when we played dead in the hot springs, once.

I snort at the memory as I pick myself up off the ground, rummaging through my suitcase for clothes. I remember how upset Olivia was with us when it turned out we weren’t dead. Henry, Inigo’s dad, laughed, causing his wife to smack him.

I’m sure Inigo misses his parents. He was so young when they died. And then, to lose his wife too…

I shake my head, slapping myself- not too hard, but enough to remind me to stop thinking sad thoughts. Today is not a day for sad thoughts.

I pull on a sweatpants and t-shirt, then my usual hoodie. Mom, Marc and I all have matching hoodies (Lucina didn’t want one; her tastes in fashion are a bit… unique), and wear them all the time. I’ve had it since I was a kid. It used to be way too big, but… I’ve grown into it.

Now it’s only a _little bit_ too big.

I head downstairs. (I’d brush my teeth, but I don’t really know where the bathroom is.) In the kitchen, Soleil and Shigure are sitting at the table, while Inigo is wearing a pale pink apron (pfft) and cooking…

“Is that _bacon_?!” I blurt.

Inigo looks up and smiles at me. “Morgan! You’re finally awake. Yeah, I made bacon and pancakes.”

I pause, then ask, “...Chocolate chip pancakes?”

“Uh- _duh_ ,” he says, rolling his eyes. “Just because we haven’t seen each other for a long time doesn’t mean I forgot what foods you like.”

He’s not wrong. I do love chocolate.

“Well?”

“Um. Well, what?”

Inigo motions towards the table. “You can’t very well eat standing up.”

“Oh! Right.” I blush, shuffling to the table and sitting down next to Soleil. She’s gotten dressed, wearing a cute brown dress and a headband to hold all her long, pink hair back. Something about it looks achingly familiar, but… I have a pretty terrible memory most of the time. Dad says I get it from Mom.

Soleil pats my arm. “Hi, Mr. Morgan!”

“Good morning,” Shigure says, smiling sweetly. He brushes his hair out of his eyes (it’s, like, ridiculously long on one side) as Inigo sets a plate in front of him, then Soleil, and finally, me.

“Eat up,” he says, pinching Soleil’s cheeks.

“Thank you, Daddy,” they both say as he sits down. I’m about to eat, but they all shout, “Itadakimasu!”

I pause, confused. That’s a Hoshidan custom. Since when did Inigo participate in Hoshidan customs? I sit in puzzlement before Shigure leans over and whispers, “ _You can eat now._ ”

“O-oh.” I sat confused for a moment before picking up my fork. Inigo laughed heartily.

“You okay there, Morgan?”

“I just, uh…” I frowned. “Why, exactly, did you say that?”

“It’s a Hoshidan thing.”

“I know _that_ , but _why_?”

Inigo glanced off at nothing. “Azura grew up in Hoshido; she was actually Vallite, which is why the kids don’t look Hoshidan, if you were wondering.”

“Oh. Okay.” I nod. “That makes sense.”

Inigo looks a little disheartened, as does Shigure. I decide that the best course of action is to change to subject.

“So, uh, what do you kids like to do?” I ask.

Soleil stands up on her chair. “Shigure sings and paints! He’s _so_ good!”

Shigure blushes, shoveling food into his mouth as he says nothing, looking at the floor.

I smile. “It’s alright, Shigure, you don’t have to be shy.”

“I-I… I’m not _that_ good,” he stammers.

“Nonsense! You’re amazing, son,” Inigo scoffs, patting his child on the shoulder.

“And I swim like my mommy,” Soleil tells me proudly.

“I see.” I smile at them. “Do either of you dance?” I ask, looking straight at Inigo, who blushes immediately.

Shigure nods. Soleil thinks for a minute.

“I dance with Daddy sometimes,” she answers finally.

“Do you still dance, Inigo?”

“Um…”

He doesn’t get the chance to answer, as his phone begins to ring. “Ah. Hold on.” He excuses himself from the table and answers it. “Hello? Peri?”

“Peri’s a lady that Daddy works with,” Shigure explains quietly.

“Why is Peri calling, Shigure?” Soleil asks. “Do you think something’s wrong?”

Shigure shrugs as Inigo returns to the kitchen. “News, kids: it looks like Xander couldn’t come in today. I have to work.”

“Aw!” Soleil whines. “But what about your day off?”

“Sorry, kids, but Daddy has to work.”

“Who’s going to take us to school?” Shigure asks.

“Looks like I’ll have to call Uncle Leo or something,” Inigo answers, shrugging.

“Oh- um,” I say, awkwardly raising my hand. “I could take them.”

Inigo’s face brightens. “Really?! You’d do that?”

“Well, I mean, I’m kind of freeloading here, you gotta admit,” I remind him, chuckling. “I might as well do something worthwhile every now and then.”

“Oh my gods, Morgan, you’re the best- like- _seriously_.”

“Yay!” Soleil cries, throwing her arms around me (and almost knocking me off my chair in the process; man, that girl is _strong_ ). Shigure smiles earnestly.

“Alright,” Inigo said, taking out a pen and a piece of paper from a drawer in the kitchen, “it’s not far from here, but Windmire’s easy to get lost in, so I’ll give you directions. You can meet up with one of their aunts or uncles there; goodness knows they have a _lot_ of them. They can point one out to you.” Inigo glances up and me and cracks a quick smile. “I think that’s all. Are you alright, then?”

I blink, not realizing I was staring. “Oh. Yeah,” I nod.

_Gods I’m too awkward for my own good._

“Great!” He hands me a slip of paper with a meager map sketched onto it. “I have to leave right after breakfast, but you can stick around for a bit afterwards.”

 

I always make it a point to leave on time. It’s a good strategy, I’ve always thought.

So, I leave shortly after Inigo does, two children in tow. Soleil insisted upon holding my hand. Shigure opted for walking slightly in front, in case I lose my way, which- let’s face it- I probably would.

“So, Mr. Morgan,” Soleil chirps, skipping alongside me, “you’re Uncle Odin’s _cousin_?”

“I- _who_?” I ask, frowning.

“Daddy says he used to go by Owain, Soleil,” Shigure reminds her.

I’d forgotten about that. Owain did say he started going by something else. (Though often his letter were too complicated and dramatized for us to make out.)

“Oh. Yeah.” I pause. “Wait- _Uncle_ Odin?!”

“Yes,” Shigure confirms. “He married one of our mommy’s step-sisters.”

“Oh. _Oh_ ,” I say. That calms me down a little. I was worried my cousin might _actually_ be secretly related to my crush. (That would be _extremely uncomfortable_ and I would not like it one bit.)

“Aunt Elise is _so_ pretty,” Soleil gushes. “I like her hair!”

Shigure sighs.

“Ooh, but Forrest’s hair is even _prettier_ ! How does it get so soft and silky?! Not like Sieg’s. His hair is _weird._ ”

“There’s nothing wrong with Siegbert’s hair,” Shigure says, though judging by the fact that he didn’t keep a straight face while saying that, I don’t think it’s true.

I turn as we pass a nice shop selling coats. I assume they need a lot of those here; it’s awfully cloudy in Nohr. It rained twice my first day here. At least I actually like the smell of rain.

Shigure points as we approach the school. “Look, there’s Nina and Forrest,” he says, pointing into a crowd of people.

I see a little girl with dark skin and long, purple pigtail braids run out of the crowd towards us, laughing.

“I hope Uncle Niles isn’t with her,” Shigure admits. “He’s scary.”

“ _I_ think he’s _cool_ ,” Soleil announces.

“Soleil!” Nina calls, waving. “I gotta tell you what happened yesterday!”

“I got to see Uncle Leo and Uncle Takumi _kiss_ !” Nina says, squealing. “It was _amazing_! I took a picture!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” Nina’s grey eyes glance up at me. “Who’s this?”

“Oh!” Soleil pats my leg. “This is Morgan. Daddy’s friend!”

“Hello!” Nina smiles, waving. “You’re one of Uncle Laslow’s friends?”

“Um. Who’s Laslow?”

Shigure tugs on my pants leg. “That’s what Daddy goes by now.”

“Oh.”

Inigo changed his name?

That’s… odd.

Although Laslow kind of suits him in a weird way, I think I like Inigo better.

I soon notice that Nina’s eyeballing me in a suspicious way.

“Um. Can I help you?” I ask nervously.

“Are you going to marry Uncle Laslow?” she asks.

“I- um- well, I- uh- _what_ ?” I stammer, turning red. Although the wind's kind of chilly, I suddenly feel _extremely uncomfortably warm_.

“Nina!” Another child calls as they come running out of the crowd.

They’re really short and cute, with curly blonde hair and brown eyes, dressed in tan shorts and a frilly pink hoodie matched with a pink hat. They glance up at me when they reach us.

I smile, kneeling down in front of them. “Hello!”

They blink at me. “Hi,” they say, smiling back nervously.

“Forrest! Nina! Where’d you run off to now?”

“Is that Uncle Takumi?” Shigure asks.

The new child nods.

“Mom and Daddy were out today, so Uncle Leo had Uncle Takumi take me to school,” Nina explains.

A man with long grey hair, pulled up into a ponytail, dressed in a navy blue bomber jacket with a brown woolen collar, is walking towards us, holding the hand of a similar-looking little boy. His eyes widen when he sees me with the blonde child.

“Who are you?” he asks, somewhat defensively.

“Um, hi,” I manage. “I’m Morgan.”

“Takumi,” he says. He motions to the grey-haired boy. “This is Kiragi. And this…” he places a hand on the blonde child’s shoulder protectively. “Is Forrest.” His gaze on me is steely. “My _son_.”

“Ah, I see.” I smile at Forrest. “Hello there. I like your hoodie.”

That seems to make his day, as he smiles brightly. “Really?”

Takumi’s also smiling me, partially with relief, and partially with gratitude. “Now, Forrest, Nina. What did I tell you about wandering off?”

“Not to do it,” Forrest sighs.

“I’m sorry,” Nina says apologetically. “Forrest only ran off after me.”

“It’s okay. But let’s not do that again, alright? Uncle Leo will kill me if I lose either of you on our watch.”

“I understand, Uncle Takumi,” Nina said, nodding.

“Oh, um,” I interrupt, “Ini- Laslow, I mean- asked me to send Soleil and Shigure with you.”

“Ah. Alright. Come along, then; I’ll get you to school.”

“Okay!”

“Thank you, Uncle Takumi.”

“Stick together!” Takumi shouts after them as Soleil and Nina drag a terrified Shigure into the crowd. He sighs. “Kids. So full of energy.” Takumi glances at me. “Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem.”

He nods before going after the other kids, holding his children’s hands. As they walk away, Forrest whispers, “Papa, he said he likes my hoodie!”

“I _know_ ; isn’t that great?”

I smiled, though now I’m alone, and I don’t think their school would be very sympathetic towards adults- especially childless adults- loitering outside, so I turn to go.

“Doth mine eyes deceive me?! Morgan, be that you?”

“Owain?”

“By the gods! It _is_ you!”

My rather melodramatic cousin approaches me, carrying his daughter Ophelia.

I smile. “Hey, Owain! Fancy meeting you here.”

“Dear cousin!” he says. Very loudly, I might add. “It’s been too long!”

“Hi!” Ophelia says, waving from where she is perched on his shoulders. “Remember me?”

“Hm…” I smirk. “Nope.”

“Liar!” she shouts, patting my head.

“Ha, ha. Hello, Ophelia.” I hold out my arms, and she hops from Owain’s shoulders to me. I catch her (thank goodness) and hold her as I turn to my cousin. “So, how have you been?”

“I’ve been splendid!” Owain admits proudly. “I couldn’t ask for a better life. I have a lovely wife; a gorgeous and wonderful daughter…” he reaches out and pinches Ophelia’s cheek; she shrieks with delight. “...and I’ve made quite a life for me here in Nohr! Pray tell, dear cousin, for what reason are you here in Windmire?”

“Oh, you know.” I shift Ophelia in my arms; she’s _heavier_ than I remember. “I wanted to see the sights, study in another country. It’s very interesting here.”

“Ha! You’re still the same Morgan, I see. And your sisters?”

“Marc is good. Lucina’s Lucina.”

He grimaced. “You poor soul.”

“But, hey!” I shrug (with one arm). “Life is good. I suppose.”

Owain nods. “I see! Tell me, how long are you planning to stay in Nohr?”

“Um… I don’t know. I was pretty much set to stay here awhile. Right now I’m at Inigo’s house.”

That warrants a pause from him.

“Um, hello? Earth to Owain?”

“Morgan,” he says, the grandeur gone from his speech. “This arrangement would happen to stem from any… ulterior motives, would it?”

I snort. “ _What_ ?! No! No. No, of course not! No, he offered to let me stay with him. No. I wouldn’t do something like- well- _that_. No. That’s ridiculous.”

“That... is a concerning amount of ‘no’s’, cousin.”

“You worry too much, Owain,” I say, rolling my eyes. “It’s alright! It’s not like I’m expecting to- cover your ears, Ophelia- _seduce_ him and ravish him at his house, especially while his kids are there. On another note, Inigo has _kids_?! I never knew!”

“Morgan…”

“I’m fine. Really! Totally fine, totally over it. Besides, that was when we were teenagers, remember? You don’t think a guy could get over a crush in a decade?”

Owain sighs. “Alright, then. Ophelia, darling, you can uncover your ears.”

Ophelia removed her hands from the sides of her head. “Daddy, who’s Inigo?”

“That’s Uncle Laslow’s real name, dear.”

“ _Really_? Why does he go by Laslow, then?”

“The same reason I go by Odin: it’s _much_ cooler.”

“Ha, ha. No it’s not.”

I hand Ophelia back to her father, who continues by saying, “If you’re not too busy, Morgan, you can come to my house after I drop Ophelia off. We can catch up over tea!”

“That sounds nice, actually.”

Well. It’s not like I have anything better to do.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Owain... So sad when he changed his name, but, "Owain Dark" doesn't have the same ring to it. (Laslow is probably my least favorite of the three name changes [not counting Asugi, Caeldori, and Rhajat]; Selena is just a cool name.)


End file.
